I just finished reading The Brass Verdict. This is one of the Harry Bosch mysteries, but it’s also one of the author’s Mickey Haller novels. The first novel to feature Mick wasThe Lincoln Lawyer. Mick is a defense attorney who works out of his car, usually a Lincoln. He has just gotten back from a year of rehab after being shot and getting addicted to pain killers. He’s hoping to start his life over, and is surprised to learn that he has inherited several cases from a deceased colleague. His colleague was killed in the parking garage of his office and Harry Bosch is the investigating dectective. Harry is in the story, but the focus is on Mickey. He has to figure out how to best defend his client while trying to protect himself. I enjoyed reading The Lincoln Lawyer and I really enjoyed The Brass Verdict. It’s neat to see the character of Harry in a new light and Mickey’s character is likeable and charming. It’s a lighter read than the Harry Bosch mysteries, so it’s a nice change of pace.

I recently started watching a PBS Masterpiece Mystery series called The Grantchester Mysteries. The show was so charming that I decided to read some of the books. The TV series covers the first book in the series, Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death. Canon Sidney Chambers is a young Anglican priest and his church is in the village of Grantchester, quite near Cambridge. He loves jazz, complicated women and solving crimes.

I’m continuing on with the Harry Bosch series. In The Overlook, Harry is called out to his first case since he joined the Homicide Special squad. Dr. Stanley Kent has been murdered and it looks like a terrorism case. Dr. Kent had access to medical radioactive substances, used to treat cancer patients. As the case unfolds, it looks like someone invaded his home, tied up his wife, and then sent threatening pictures to his phone. He was sent a message to retrieve the radioactive substances and bring them to the Mulholland Drive overlook, or else his wife was going to be killed. Now his body is lying there and Harry has to figure it out. Of course, the FBI is involved, and Harry’s former lover, Rachel Walling, is one of the FBI agents he has to work with. I enjoyed reading about Harry and his struggles. I wasn’t surprised upon finding out who the murderer was, but I enjoyed the story.

Murder Past Due is the first entry in the Cat in The Stacks mystery series. It has a librarian, who owns a Cat and solves mysteries. How could I resist this? Normally, I read procedurals and “darker” mystery novels, but once in a while, I like to read a cozy mystery. The hero is Charlie Harris who has recently relocated to his hometown of Athena, Mississippi. Charlie works at the local library and owns a Mane Coon tabby named Diesel who is a major character in the book. Godfrey Priest, big time author and home town boy, returns to give a speech. However, it is not long before he is killed and Charles and Diesel start to work on solving the mystery. This is a nice relaxing read and I enjoyed it very much. I’ll be checking out the other books in the series.

I had to make a long road trip so I grabbed The Fugitive to listen to on the way. I had been meaning to try one of Margolin’s books for a while. Although it was predictable in spots, it was entertaining and suspenseful. Charlie Marsh fled the US twelve years ago when he was accused of murder. He’s been living in the African country of Batanga, but has gotten in trouble with the mad, violent dictator of the country. Seems he doesn’t appreciate Charlie sleeping with his favorite wife. Figuring facing trail in the US is better than being tortured in the basement of the dictator’s house, Charlie comes back and turns himself into the District Attorney. Beforehand though, he promises World News magazine an exclusive interview as long as they arrange legal representation. Amanda Jaffe, young lawyer, is ready to take on the case. But there’s a lot of danger and suspense along the way.

I listen to a lot of audiobooks since I spend a lot of time in the car and 14 was a title I picked up recently. The author is Peter Clines, well known for his post-apocalyptic super hero series Ex-Heroes, and the narrator, Ray Porter, is top notch.

Just finished reading Laura Lippman's newest book, Hush Hush. This is the newest in her series of Tess Monaghan mysteries. Tess is now a new mom and trying to juggle detective work and her family's hectic schedule. Her mentor, lawyer Tyner Gray, calls her in to do security for a old friend. This old friend, Melisandre Harris Dawes, locked her baby in a car and sat outside under a tree while the infant died. She was found not guilty by reason of insanity and admits that she was insane then. But now, 15 years later, she's back and wants to be reunited with her surviving daughters. Tess is torn between sympathy and suspicion towards this new client.

When I read The Forgers by Bradford Morrow, I expected something along the lines of John Dunning’s Bookman series, a bit light hearted, with lots of insight into the rare book collecting industry. This was a bit different, slow moving, but with lots of character development and psychological insights. It starts off with a man, Adam Diehl, dying slowly in the hospital after a brutal attack. It seems Adam was a forger, something his sister, Meghan, struggles to deal with. Her boyfriend, Will, tries to help her but he himself has secrets.

I’ve been enjoying reading my mysteries lately. Sometimes, I’m reading books for my reading clubs and I have to take a break from mysteries. But lately, I’ve read two mysteries in a row!

Echo Park by Michael Connelly
Harry Bosch is contacted about an old case and he is hopeful that he can finally locate the body of a young woman, Marie Gesto, who has been missing for thirteen years. Now that he’s in the Open-Unsolved Unit, he works cold cases all the time, but this one has always haunted him. Turns out a killer, Raynard Waits, has made a deal with the DA. He’s agreed to lead the authorities to the graves of Marie Gesto and other victims, in exchange for life instead of the death penalty. Harry doesn’t like it but he does want to give Marie’s parents some closure.

Mystery Writers of America presents The Mystery Box edited by Brad Meltzer
This collection of short stories all feature a box somewhere in the story. Sometimes it’s a real box, sometimes it’s metaphoric. But each story has a box and it was entertaining to look for it as I read. One of the writers was my favorite, Laura Lippmann, but I can say I enjoyed all the stories. I find short stories fun to read in between novels.